


The Moonlighters: Narratives Before Dusk

by Charulean_Waters, MiddayGiggle



Series: The Moonlighters [3]
Category: Purple Hyacinth - Ephemerys & Sophism (Webcomic)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Attorney!Kieran, C A T S, Domestic, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Law and Mafia AU, Lila is a Mom Friend, Lukas is constantly threatening people, Married!Lula, PTSD, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Prosecutor!Lauren, Romance, Slice of Life, Tags to be added as the chapters come, friendships, mentions of trauma
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-25
Updated: 2021-01-20
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:35:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27712814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Charulean_Waters/pseuds/Charulean_Waters, https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiddayGiggle/pseuds/MiddayGiggle
Summary: Sometimes, it's all about perspective. The portion of the story you see standing up may be different from the one you see flat on the ground. Who's stopping you from enjoying the night sky as you await the pale moonlight?(Or: Fun stories insideThe Moonlighterscanon. Could technically be read without the main plot as one-shots, but it is advised to read it along with the story!)
Relationships: Kym Ladell & Lauren Sinclair, Lauren Sinclair/Kieran White, Lila Desroses/Lukas "Grumpy Cat" Randall, William Hawkes & Kym Ladell, William Hawkes & Lauren Sinclair, William Hawkes/Kym Ladell
Series: The Moonlighters [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1956586
Comments: 44
Kudos: 78





	1. Shaky Signatures

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Lila introduces Kieran to tea and regrets it.

L ila Desroses was well aware of her duties as secretary.

She had been working in the position for years now, responsibilities like organizing, scheduling, taking calls, and coffee-making embedded deeply in her routine. Even so, after working in a Police Department for so long, taking a new office job in a quiet law firm felt like a blessing, as she wouldn’t have to spend every other hour worrying over her workmates as they left for patrol. It was certainly easier to file documents when your hands weren’t shaking from anxiety half of the time. Here, she had to manage a single man’s time, and as an added bonus, this man happened to be Lukas’ best friend. It was, to say the least, a welcomed change of routine.

It had only been a few weeks since she started her employment with Kieran White when she noticed it. She was well aware of the man’s background —or as aware as Lukas allowed her, there were things he wouldn’t tell her— so she had brushed it off at first as some kind of nervous tick or just bad calligraphy. It dawned on her it wasn’t when early one morning, before he had eaten or drank anything, he handed her a list of names in perfectly clean writing before he took the mug of coffee offered to him and walked into his office. Barely an hour after, his next written notes presented the usual jitters and awkward turns at spots. Kieran scowled at the sheets of paper that displayed penmanship that looked messier than a preschooler’s, which Lila didn’t fail to notice.

“Anxiety,” Lukas had answered that night when she asked him, folding the fresh laundry. “Product of his time with the Family.” His expression was grim, his eyes somber as he tucked the sleeves of a button-down. “The past wasn’t very kind to Kieran. Caffeine makes it worse, but since he rarely gets any sleep without nightmares there’s not much he can do, since he needs to stay awake all day.”

“They’ll crease like that, let me show you.” She took the shirt from his hands and folded the sleeves correctly. “He should’ve told me, I could’ve thought of something else to help him.”

Lukas smiled softly. “Kieran doesn’t really like to talk about it. What they did to him… It was terrible.” He groaned as he fumbled with the shirt in his hands. “Ah, goddamn, it fell apart again.”

“You have to press it,” Lila giggled, starting over as she finished a second one. Grabbing a third shirt, she continued: “ _What_ did they do to him exactly?”

Lukas was not a particularly expressive individual, but she would never forget the utter and pure rage and sadness that washed over his features that night.

“Terrible things. I’m sorry, I can’t tell you much about it. He’s very reserved about that.”

“I understand,” Lila sighed as Lukas finally got the folding right, putting the shirt in the stack before pulling a pair of slacks from the laundry basket. “But is there anything I can do to help him?”

“Well, can you think of a better option than coffee to keep him awake?”

“And jitter-free?”

Lukas nodded. “And jitter-free.”

Lila hummed in deep consideration, taking the pile of button-downs and putting them in the assigned drawer as Lukas began clipping her skirts to the hangers. Closing the drawer with her hip, she looked at him contemplatively. “I mean, tea has caffeine too, right? Much less than coffee, of course, but perhaps that’s for the better. I think he’d feel a lot better if he had nice tea instead of coffee. It seems he doesn’t like it a lot, either way.”

“He’s not a fan of either,” Lukas shrugged. “Coffee makes him extremely paranoid, and he’s got some kind of rivalry against tea. The one he’s had, at least. I tried it once, while he was attending university, and it was horrid.”

“Well, I’m sure I can think of something he’d like.” Lila smiled, taking the offered skirts and hanging them in the closet. Her clothes alone took up most of the space in their closet, which was mainly the reason he had to put his shirt in the drawer, with the few exceptions of Lukas’ formal uniform, or his suits for special occasions.

Lukas smiled at Lila, leaning towards her to peck her temple. “I’m sure you will.”

That night, after Lukas had gone to bed, she had rummaged the pantry, examining their collection of tea —good quality ones, and most of them loose-leaf— looking for something her new boss and friend would probably enjoy. She had multiple delicious blends, but she put aside the sweeter ones in favor of the ones with heavier flavors, something she guessed Kieran would enjoy. In the end, she settled for the earl grey blend. It wasn’t the one she used the most, since she preferred sweeter flavors with the subtle spice of cinnamon, but she thought that it suited his character. Not really sweet, leaning more to a citric and floral flavor, but most definitely tasty. She grinned down at the tiny blue dried flowers in the container; Lukas had told her Kieran was particularly fond of flowers.

The next morning, Lukas had looked at her, completely baffled out at the huge flask of hot tea jutting out of her purse as she was getting ready for work.

“I didn’t think you’d do it so soon.”

At which she had laughed and claimed:

“His signatures are hideous.”

Lukas burst out laughing.

* * *

She hadn’t taken into account the fact that earl grey was highly aromatic. In a place that smelled mostly of coffee, the new scent of earl grey, especially in the amount she had brought, easily caught attention. The other secretaries stared at her when she took a mug from the office pantry and filled it with the tea, inquiring about the contents of her silver flask. It wasn’t like she had brought liquor to the workplace. She didn’t quite understand what weirded them out so much.

Adhering to his schedule (or the lack thereof), Kieran arrived barely on time at the place, eyes betraying yet another difficult night as he stepped out of the elevator and into the reception to his office. He was three steps away from his door when he stopped next to Lila’s desk, lifting his head and subtly sniffing the air, head tilted in curiosity.

Lila giggled. “Good morning, Mr. White.”

Kieran turned to her with a smile. “Good morning, Ms. Desroses. For the last time, dear, call me Kieran.”

“When you stop calling me Ms. Desroses, I will,” Lila chuckled.

Kieran hummed, nodding slightly. “Right. Did you happen to get a new perfume or…?”

Lila laughed a little louder. “No, no, it’s not perfume. It’s tea.”

“Ah, I see. It really is too aromatic to be perfume.”

“I actually have some for you, Mr. White.” Lila took the cup from her desk and offered it to the attorney, who eyed it skeptically, just as she had expected it.

“Thank you, Ms. Desroses, but I’m not really a tea drinker. I’ll pass.”

“Lukas told me you don’t really like tea,” she persisted. “It’s because of that horrid blend that someone gave you in university, right?”

Kieran winced. “I’m afraid so, yes. That wasn’t pleasant.”

“I made sure not to pick something reminiscent of sewer water. I’m sure you’ll like it, just try it.”

Kieran stared at the mug in her hands for a few seconds, hesitating. Lila was starting to get nervous as the heat from the tea seared into her hands. Maybe she _shouldn’t_ have tried to change his habits; she didn’t know him that well, after all. Lukas had informed her of what to expect of Kieran White before the wedding, and she had not been disappointed by him. The man proved to be as charismatic and fun to hang around as Lukas had described (her husband had actually said he was “boastful and annoying”, but she translated those adjectives into the deeper affection he meant). From the moment she had started working for him, he had been nothing but respectful and kind to her, but she was now beginning to doubt whether she should have just put up with her boss’s messy penmanship.

Her arm was starting to hurt and her smile was slackening when Kieran _finally_ took the mug from her hands.

“Thank you,” he muttered, walking past her and into the office, closing the door behind him.

Lila sighed, relieved. It was a start, at least. If this didn’t work to keep him up and running, or worst case scenario, sent him to sleep and completely destroyed his penmanship, she’d perhaps try decaf. She felt obligated in a way to aid him. Maybe it was because Lukas cared for him like a brother, or because she actually _really_ liked the man, but she felt an urge to help Kieran out in any way she could.

When she entered his office to hand him some documents he needed to sign, she noticed that a good half of the tea had already disappeared. She nearly danced on the spot and started cheering when the signature came out in beautiful calligraphy, completely devoid of the sharp and abrupt angles she had become acquainted with.

By the time she entered the second time before lunch, the mug was empty.

“Was it any good?” she asked, retrieving the cup and frowning at the stain it had left on the desk. Kieran’s desk was an absurdly expensive masterpiece of oak wood, so maybe they had to find a way to keep it safe from those awful mug stains. She wondered if there were coasters that wouldn’t be too noticeable.

Kieran stared at her for a few seconds before smiling widely. “Lila, have I ever told you you are amazing?”

“ _Lila?_ ” she laughed. “So I’m _Lila_ now. Great, I take it you liked it?”

“It was delicious,” Kieran nodded. “And my heart doesn’t feel like it’ll jump out of my ribcage. I can’t believe I haven’t ever had it before. Which tea is it?”

“Earl Grey, and it was _my pleasure_ ,” Lila chuckled, picking up the mug and examining the spotless porcelain. He drank every single drop. “Would you like some more, _Kieran_?”

He grinned. “Do you have more?”

“I brought a whole flask. I’ll get you another mug.”

Satisfied, Lila briskly walked out of the office, a wide grin plastered on her face as she poured another steaming serving and brought it back to his desk. Kieran was hunched over some documents, tapping his favorite pen gently against the wooden surface, but perked up at the scent of the tea, a faint smile stretching on his lips.

“I do wonder though, why would Lukas tell you about my rivalry with tea?”

Lila blushed slightly. “Ah… You know, to make small talk.”

“How sweet, small talk with your _husband_ about _me._ ”

Lila chuckled, rubbing the back of her head. Unable to see a way out, she took a sip of her own mug of tea. Kieran burst out laughing.

“Do I even want to know?”

“I just asked out of curiosity,” Lila cocked an eyebrow in Kieran’s direction. “Shaky signatures are not exactly professional, you know, _Mr. White_.”

“So you’ve noticed,” he chuckled. “Yes, I’m aware, _Ms. Desroses_.”

Lila giggled, a bounce in her step as she headed back to her own desk. Her mission was a success, and she couldn’t wait to tell Lukas about it once she went back home. She’d have to stock the office pantry with different blends for him to try, since she couldn’t have him drinking _only_ Earl Grey. Hopefully, she’d get to make him try some sweeter ones as well. She was glad to be able to help him ease out his anxiety a little.

Oh, if only she had known what she was getting herself into back then, she would’ve left Kieran alone with his coffee and quivering signatures.

* * *

“But Lila-”

“No,” she hissed, snatching the mug from Kieran’s hands as he pouted like a child. “I am _not_ going to stand by and watch you down Earl Grey like water. Did you not listen to me when I told you it could cause cramping? Or the skin issues? It’s not healthy to take this much.”

“It’s only my third mug!”

“You’ve been in the office for an hour!”

“Fine!” Kieran huffed indignantly, crossing his arms and leaning back on the chair, looking like a petulant child instead of a grown man. “I’ve truly got no choice but to let _you_ boss _me_ around. Lukas would _kill me_ if I dared to use my authority as your boss on you.”

Lila smiled at him, softly patting his head, which caused a few strands of hair to fall out of his ribbon.

“I will get you something else.”

“ _Thank you._ ”

Laughing, she left the office again, making a mental list of the other teas she kept at the office pantry, deciding at last to brew him some chamomile. Last night, he had attended yet another one of those dinners he despised so much and was in a particularly sour mood because of it. Maybe some chamomile would help him calm down. He was not very fond of sweet flavors, but a dash of honey always made this tea taste better.

As he always did every time she introduced him to a new tea, Kieran grabbed the handle of his mug and swirled it around, taking in the smell and taking a tentative sip. After a few moments of thought, he nodded and resumed working. The tea had his approval, and so Lila left again, satisfied at what she believed to be another amazing decision on her part.

She was wrong. Horribly wrong.

He had an appointment with a client that day, one of the ones that those wretched people sent him. When the woman showed up, Lila went through the usual pleasantries without noticing the unusual silence inside from Kieran’s office. She hadn’t bothered to check on him again, hoping he would calm down on his own. The client waited for her as she stood up and softly knocked on the door to announce herself before pushing the door open.

“Mr. White, your client-”

She stopped dead on her tracks, blinking at the image before her.

_No way._

Before the client could glance inside, she stepped in and closed the door behind her, panic crawling on her skin as she almost ran to Kieran’s side, who was currently blacked out on his desk, the cup of tea not even finished. While she knew many people drank chamomile before bed, she would have never thought it would put a _twenty five year old, six foot tall_ man to sleep so easily.

He truly _was_ a child.

“ _Kieran!_ ” Lila hissed, shaking his shoulder gently. “Kieran for the love of God, wake up! Mrs. Mirain is already here for your appointment, wake up!”

From the spot where his face was tucked on the inside of his elbow, Kieran groaned and used his other arm to cover his head, shielding his ears from the noise. Lila shook him a little harder.

“Kieran!”

“Not now…”

“Oh my god, Kieran, wake up!” Lila grabbed both his shoulders and shook him so hard his chair moved, but acting like the _absolute child_ he definitely was, he simply oscillated with the chair as if his skeleton was made of spaghetti. “Kieran White!”

He lazily lifted his head, blinking slowly, adjusting to the light, before turning to stare at Lila, completely lost. It took him a few seconds of complete silence to realize where he was and what he was doing before he shot up, almost hitting Lila with the chair as he frantically rearranged his clothes.

“Is Mrs. Mirain-”

“Yes, she-”

“And did I-”

“You did.”

“Why-”

“The tea!” Lila huffed, sending a glare to the half-finished mug. “I know that it’s good for insomnia but not to _that_ extent.”

She wished she had a camera on her, since Kieran’s mortified expression of pure shame spread across his face was priceless.

“Don’t worry, I left her outside, just let me know when to bring her in. And fix your hair, it’s a mess.”

“Alright, _mother_.”

Lila glared at him, snatching the half-finished tea from the desk and pointing an accusatory look at Kieran. “Do _not_ try me, Kieran.”

Kieran grimaced at her back, fumbling with the ribbon as he pulled his hair back into a low bun, trying to brush back as many of the rebel strands of hair from his forehead as he could. Before Lila could leave, he smirked.

“If you think about it, this is all your fault.”

Lila whirled around, glaring dangerously as if daring him to continue. “ _I_ beg _your pardon?_ ”

“You should’ve let me enjoy my Earl Grey.”

“I _cannot_ believe you,” Lila gaped, looking beyond offended as Kieran hid his laughter in his fist. “I’m sorry for trying to preserve your health, _Mr. White_ . I’ll make sure not to commit the same _heinous_ offense in the future, _sir_.”

“Oh, come on,” Kieran chuckled. “I was kidding, Lila. You know I love you.”

“Yes, sure,” Lila pouted, striding out of the office.

Mrs. Mirain sat on the couch in the reception, where she arched an eyebrow at Lila, looking everything but pleased. Replacing her scowl with her “pleasant secretary”smile, Lila offered the woman a drink. The woman demanded a cup of coffee with an annoyed scoff, and Lila excused herself politely, desperately holding the corners of her lips up until she was out of view. She was well acquainted with the clients that the Family sent Kieran. Cordiality was not usually a virtue those clients possessed.

Kieran was thankfully fully awake by the time she walked in with the drinks as Mrs. Mirain followed closely behind her. Lila made sure she was quiet enough not to interrupt the conversation as she set the drinks on the desk, placing two sugar packets next to Mrs. Mirain’s coffee as she set a brand new cup of tea for Kieran. He eyed the drink curiously, so Lila leaned in to whisper explanations:

“Peppermint, no caffeine. For energy, _you big baby_.”

Kieran had to bite down a cackle.

* * *

Lila almost tripped at the door, the keys clattering as she dropped them. She released a frustrated groan, kicking the door closed with her heel and doing her darn best to balance on one foot without dropping the bags she gripped in her hands. Lukas appeared at the threshold of the living room, perplexed. She had told him she would be buying some groceries; what she _hadn’t_ told him was that her shopping consisted almost completely of tea blends.

“Hello, honey,” Lila huffed, shifting her weight as one of the bags tilted dangerously to the left. Lukas was by her side in two strides, taking most of the bags from her arms.

“What in the world is all this?” Lukas asked, glancing inside the bags. “Is this… tea?”

“Yes,” Lila gestured to the kitchen, dropping the two remaining bags she carried at the counter. “Kieran asked me to get him some for his apartment.”

“You’re kidding me,” Lukas cocked an eyebrow to her. “He really did?”

“He doesn’t know where to get the good stuff,” Lila giggled, starting to unpack. “Some of these are ours, and the rest are for the office pantry. Oh, this is for you.” Lila placed a bag of coffee beans in Lukas’ hands. He nodded in silent thanks and put the coffee beans into the cabinet before turning back around to see his wife pouring an ocean of teas onto the countertop, a thousand different smells mixing and filling every corner of the small kitchen.

“I’m going to kill him,” Lukas grunted, poking through the pile. “Does he think you’re his maid or something? He’s so dead.”

“Please don’t,” Lila laughed. “He’s now calling me his mother if you must know. Finds my worrying hilarious.”

“He’s even _more_ dead now.” 

“It’s alright, you don’t have to kill your best friend. It’s no hassle for me, you know the APD only had good coffee because I was in charge of restocking it. I know where to get the good things at affordable prices, and I love the smells too.”

“Don’t remind me of those good days,” Lukas scowled. “I don’t know what crap they give us now, but it’s horrible.”

“You brought this upon yourself, you were the one who sent me to Kieran.”

“I didn’t _send you to Kieran_ , I just suggested it. At this point, if I could go back in time, I’d have never even mentioned it.”

Lila laughed. “Alright then. There are two bags of every blend, and if there’s a third one that’s ours. Help me put them in bags to take them to Kieran’s place and to the office.”

“Do I _have_ to?”

“In sickness and in health, honey.”

“Touché.”

Lila giggled as they got to work, pulling her hair back in a ponytail and tucking the smaller strands behind her ears. She stared at the various labels on every bag of dried leaves of flowers, checking each one off on her list of different teas. She’d sorted her list based on the ones she and Lukas enjoyed personally and the ones he’d already tried (there were five bags of Earl Grey just for him). Each blend had the known effects listed next to them, with specific markings for ones that had odd effects on Kieran so he wouldn’t drink something that would put him to sleep if she wasn’t there. Putting the sheet aside, Lila continued, not noticing the way Lukas stared at the page until he spoke up.

“You are _incredibly_ considerate, do you know that?”

Lila turned to Lukas, checking off a tea on her own list. “What do you mean?”

“All of this,” Lukas gestured to their surroundings. “Going out of your way to help someone you don’t know that well yet, turning your house into a tea shop and writing down a list-”

“It’s _just_ a list.”

“It’s in _alphabetical order_ ,” Lukas pointed at the paper to prove his point. “You don’t have to do all of this. Hell, _I_ wouldn’t do it. You’ve only known Kieran for a couple of months and here you are, doing everything in your power to help him just because you were observant enough. You don’t have to do it, but you do. I don’t know if you understand how great of a person that makes you, Lila.”

She blushed, lowering her head so the front pieces of her hair would cover her cheekbones.

“It’s not much.”

“It’s more than most people would do.” Lukas lifted her chin, softly stroking her cheek. “It’s more than most people did for Kieran his whole life. You are amazing, and I’m proud of you.”

Lila smiled at him, adoring the way his eyes softened a little and how his lips tilted up at the corners. Lukas wasn’t one to smile widely or look particularly cheerful, but he always had a fond expression reserved _only_ for her. It always made her feel light, as if she were walking on air.

“Thank you,” she whispered, unsure of what else to say. Instead, she stood on her tiptoes and softly pressed her lips to his, reveling in the way he returned it with the care one would give to a butterfly.

“However,” Lukas pulled back, lifting in all seriousness a finger. “If he gives you a hard time, let me know and I’ll put a bullet right through his skull. And _enjoy it._ ”

Lila burst out laughing, holding onto Lukas’ shoulder to keep herself upright as she doubled over in mirth. With time, Lukas’ threats had stopped being menacing or scary (she wondered why they had been in the first place) and had transformed into hilarious quips that overflowed with creativity. Anyone who was close enough to Lukas would know this was simply how he was. To Lila, there wasn’t a single reason to change anything about him.

After she was finally able to breathe again, a few giggles surfacing every few seconds, she leaned in and pecked her husband’s lips again, trying to change his unamused expression.

“One day, those threats will get you in trouble darling,” Lila laughed, pointing a warning finger to him. “Now let’s get to work unless you want our kitchen to remain a _tea shop_ forever.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> > Kieran: *only BREATHES the wrong way around Lila*
>> 
>> Lukas: Ah, so you've chosen death-  
> 
> 
> Lila Desroses is the ULTIMATE MOM FRIEND and I'll fight anyone on this.
> 
> Giggle speaking! I'm so excited for all of you to read these! This one came to me out of totally nowhere and I wrote Waters like _"Hey I just got a_ Magnificient _idea"_ and that's how we decided it was Lila who was responsible of Kieran's utter obsession with tea lmaooo. Does she regret it? Yes, she does. Every day, or every time she has to restock his pantry.
> 
> #GiveLilaARaise, she didn't sign up to babysit a complete child.
> 
> Aaaand you also get doses of Lula! Beware, for a while, this will be mostly Lula or just fluffy friendships. And tea. And cats. Anyway, we hope you enjoy it! <3
> 
> As expected this won't update as often as the main story, but they will be coming one at a time! Until then enjoy teeth-rotting fluff! Drop a comment with your thoughts if you'd like, and Happy Thanksgiving!! Though not everyone celebrates (we both don't), we're thankful for all of your support!


	2. Fluffy Felines

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Lukas is an absolute simp.

L ukas Randall was a man of routine.

Ever since his early teenage years, he has carried a perfectly well-kept and immaculately detailed itinerary with him, revising whenever his life took a turn or something external forced him to modify his habits. He despised impromptu changes. Upon graduating and entering the police force, he kept up the same routine every single day for years: he’d wake up before the sun, get ready for work, and go get breakfast at a cafe about ten minutes from his house and seven from the Precinct. 

He went to that specific cafe because it was conveniently placed out of the path of his coworkers (so he wouldn’t have to encounter them outside of work), because it was too damn early in the morning and he was in no mood to cook, and _especially_ because their coffee was great and the one at the office was crap (back then, anyway). After breakfast, he went to work, and after work, he went straight home. On Friday nights he’d stay a little longer, at the shooting range, just to keep up his marksmanship before going home soon after as well; if it had been a particularly hard week, he’d pour himself some whiskey, and that was it. Every other week, Saturday afternoon was for grocery shopping. Sunday mornings were for his parents because he was no ungrateful son and made sure to visit them weekly and call constantly.

However, his wife was totally different.

Lila Desroses, the beautiful being, was the opposite to him in every single aspect. Where Lukas was quiet and serious to the bone with anyone but his family, Lila was always full of warm smiles and sincere interest in those around her. While Lukas’ hair was the color of dark matter and sharply cut and styled, Lila had soft curls of blonde with the tiniest bit of orange to enhance her porcelain skin. Lukas drank black coffee; Lila preferred tea, but always took her coffee with milk and sugar, and of course, a dash of cinnamon. She was everything he was not, but people do say that opposites attract. That was basic physics.

Above and foremost, Lila was a smiling, kind, and _spontaneous_ soul that, upon granted entrance to Lukas’ heart, would constantly push him to leave his comfort zone. She never tried to change him, but she _did_ like to make him try new things. She’d take him to farmers’ markets, show him the best organic products she knew, those the farmers produced with their own hands and dedicated hours upon hours to tend to, so very different from the things he found at the grocery stores. She introduced him to tea blends, although he still preferred coffee. Occasionally, when he’d arrive home or wake up in the middle of the night, he’d find Lila in the kitchen baking, and she’d drag him with her in her newest adventure of flour and sugar. He could refuse none of this. To be sincere, he wasn’t really capable of saying no to her in many things, not when her heart was never ill-placed, not when her smile was so dazzling, or her eyes were so bright.

Yes, his wife was one spontaneous woman.

Which was the reason Lukas was not very surprised when Lila barged into the apartment that night, dripping wet, cheeks flushed, and breath ragged because she had come running through the pouring rain outside.

Lukas frowned at her soaked dress, glasses, and hair, but above all at the umbrella hanging from the crook of her arm, completely unused.

Despite her miserable state, Lila grinned widely at him. “Good evening, honey. I got a little rained on.”

“No way, I hadn’t realized,” deadpanned Lukas, already turning and almost running to the bathroom. Lila giggled.

“Yes, I guess it is quite obvious.”

“I’ll get you a–”

He was interrupted by a meow.

Lila blushed, Lukas stopped almost at the door, and they both stared at each other in complete silence. It took them a couple of seconds to register what was happening, and Lukas’ hand fell from the doorknob as he positioned his hands on his hips, head downcast.

“You didn’t–”

“Before you get mad–”

“Oh, god, you actually did–”

“Hear me out–”

“ _Lila_.” Lila squeaked at him, shutting her mouth. Lukas arched an eyebrow. “Where is it?”

In the likes of a kid being scolded by a parent, Lila unfurled her arms that had been hugging her purse to her chest and showed him the inside. Among her tube of lipstick, emergency kit, wallet, and other things she kept inside, two shivering little kittens curled together. Two, not one.

“Lila, what the fuck–”

“They were shivering in a box in an alley near the firm. I couldn’t _possibly_ leave them out in the rain, Lukas.”

“Lila, what are we gonna _do_ with two cats?” Lukas sighed, rubbing his forehead in exasperation. “And you got drenched over them, for the love of God,” he reached inside the bathroom and grabbed one of the towels. “Come here, let’s dry you up before you catch a cold.”

Lila was already halfway to him, but instead of agreeing to be dried up, she had pushed her purse into his arms, the cats inside protesting as Lukas fumbled to grab it before it fell to the ground. “The cats! Dry them up while I shower!”

“Hey, hold up, you–”

Lila blew a kiss as she closed the bathroom door. “Thank you! Love you!”

“Lila–”

The door slammed closed and he heard her turn the lock as she burst into chuckles from inside, leaving him speechless and with a soaked purse and two complaining kittens that were beginning to cry to him. Lukas glared down at them. They were only whining balls of fur, probably not a lot bigger than his own hands, one made of a patchwork of brown and one ginger and white. Sparking orbs stared up at him, one set a dazzling grass green and the other a shining aquamarine. They meowed again, in sync.

“Alright, alright. I got it, you little fuckers,” Lukas grumbled, taking them from inside the purse and discarding it in the foyer, wrapping the towel around them as he took them to the living room. Sitting down in front of the fireplace, he began methodically rubbing the towel on the ginger cat first, because he (she? he couldn’t tell) was trying to run away to the bathroom door. Lukas chuckled. “You like Lila, right? I don’t blame you. I like her too.”

The cat meowed up at him.

As for the second cat, it had made itself comfortable on Lukas’ thigh, shivering, consequently digging its tiny claws on his leg. Lukas hissed at him. The cat hissed back but otherwise didn’t move.

“Alright, you have an attitude. I’ll grant you that, furball.”

Drying off the ginger cat was a harder task than he imagined, because the rebel little thing wouldn’t stop trying to escape, despite Lukas’ best efforts to calm it. It would keep yowling and complaining, which caused the brown cat to respond with equally loud laments as if Lukas were slaughtering them instead of trying to help them _like he was_. When he finally managed to dry it off it became the fluffiest, puffiest furball he had ever seen. Its hairs stood in every direction as if it had been electrified. Lukas dropped the cat in the space between his crossed knees, hoping it wouldn’t try to escape, and picked up the second one. The brown cat refused to abandon the spot it had taken on Lukas’ side, hanging from the shirt like some sort of acrobat. Lukas grunted as he twisted to rub the towel on its hair.

The ginger cat scratched his leg, trying to climb upwards. “Motherf– Will you calm down for a damn second! I’m trying to help you two here!”

The ginger cat only replied with more indignant cries.

Lukas continued to furiously dry off the second cat with one hand while holding the first one down with the other, grumbling to himself: “Overpowered by two cats and my own wife, this is what my life has come to, for the goddamn love of everything holy in heaven and hell–”

“Oh, stop whining, Lukas,” Lila laughed from behind him, already fully dressed in her pajamas as she sat down next to him. The ginger cat nearly screamed at the sight of her, somehow finding the strength in its tiny paws to jump from its spot between Lukas’ legs and running to Lila. She cooed at the cat. “Look at you, you’re such a cutie! Lukas, can you resist a face like this one?”

Lukas scoffed. “I am not looking.”

“Why noooot?”

“Because it’ll be too cute. I’ll puke.”

Lila burst out laughing again, cradling the cat closer to her chest. Content, the little thing purred and rubbed its head beneath her chin. Lila smiled. “Aren’t you a cute little… Girl! Oh, you’re such a cute little girl!”

Lukas pointed at the cat that refused to detach from his side. “Think you can get this one off me?”

“It seems they like you!”

“Get them off, their claws are starting to actually hurt.”

Lila scoffed and grabbed the kitty, its protests dying a few seconds after as it curled into Lila’s chest as well. Lila looked down at them with pure adoration. Animals just seemed to love her instantly, and with the tiny furballs curled on her collarbone as she leaned back so they wouldn’t fall off, all of them looked beyond adorable.

He frowned at the image.

“Stop it.”

Lila lifted her gaze and frowned back, feigning confusion, her tone laced with amusement as she replied: “Stop what?”

“Stop being cute,” Lukas spat. “You’re trying to sway me to let you keep the cats.”

Lila was having a hard time holding back her smile. “I am doing nothing of the sort!”

“Liar,” Lukas grumbled, standing up. “We are not keeping the cats.”

“Why not?” Lila stood up with him. “They are only kittens! What do you expect us to do?”

“I don’t know, maybe we can find people who’d like to adopt them,” Lukas muttered, walking away with Lila following behind, the cats on her arms. “We don’t have time to take care of a cat, much less two.”

“Lukas, we are both adults. It’s not like there are children in this home, and cats are independent animals, they don’t need constant attention. Plus, they’ll have each other to play with while we’re at work.”

“Exactly my point,” Lukas let the towel fall into the laundry basket in the bathroom. “We both work long hours and are home only at night. If they make a mess, we won’t be here to watch them.”

“Lukas, do you think these kitties are big enough to cause such a mess?” Lila cocked an eyebrow. “Messes are a given when you have pets, and I don’t mind cleaning them.”

Lukas sighed, walking towards the closet to take off his now-damp clothes. Lila sat on the bed and let the cats play on it, running and rolling and leaving hairs in the comforter. Lukas tugged off the shirt as he grumbled: “They leave cat hairs everywhere.”

“Well, I can’t argue that,” Lila grimaced. “But I’m sure a roller will do the trick. They don’t have to come into the bedroom if you don’t want to, we can just keep them outside. I’ll take care of cleaning the couches.”

Lukas sighed again, glancing back to his wife. She had laid down on the bed and was playing with the cats again, and they meowed as they jumped around her, batting at her ears or chewing her hair. The ginger cat seemed particularly fond of Lila. She purred a lot and brushed her cheek and tail against her, to which Lila replied with a kiss under her fluffy chin. Damn her. Lukas tore his eye away from her, putting on a clean shirt for bed. Lila was too damn cute. She knew very well he was incapable of refusing things to her, and she never failed to use it to her advantage. _You are so_ stupidly _weak, Lukas Randall._

Resigned, Lukas sighed. “Alright, I’ll think about it.”

Lila celebrated from her spot in the bed with an adorable squeal, hugging the cats closer to her chest.

“But I don’t want the cats in the bed!”

Lila laughed. “Duly noted. I’ll take them outside.”

“You seem awfully happy with an ‘I’ll think about.’”

Lila shrugged. “Well, it’s not an outright no. It’s better than nothing,” she put the cats outside and kissed their heads before closing the door. There were cries coming from outside and she looked visibly distraught about it, but she walked up to him anyway as Lukas put on fresh pants. “But I’m confused, I thought you liked cats.”

“I do. I relate to them. We share our disgust for the human race.”

Lila smacked his arm playfully, giggling. “Human race, huh?”

“Well, of course. Except you. And Kieran, but don’t tell him I said that.”

“I won’t.” she stood on her tiptoes, placing a sweet kiss on his lips. She tasted and smelled like cinnamon. He would cringe and likely _seriously injure_ anyone else who dared to drape their arms over his shoulders, but this was Lila. This was the woman he had fallen hopelessly in love with, though he refused to admit it out loud. Everything about her was warm and bright and kind, every inch of her was sweet like the pastries she liked so much. There was truly not a single thing he didn’t like about Lila Desroses.

He couldn’t bring himself to dislike her spontaneity either, despite how much it clashed with his routine.

* * *

It turns out his routine now involved a pair of cats.

Yes, he had given in.

Now they were the proud owners of two cats, kindly named Cinnamon and Espresso. It seemed Espresso was fond of Lukas and of leaving brown hairs all over him, which meant Lila let (made, honestly) him name it. She, however, had declared Cinnamon her little Princess, and that was the end of it. They had two cats, and Lila had called Kieran to declare that she would be spending a day shopping for them. Which also meant they were now the proud owners of a dozen cat toys, a cat tree, cat beds, and a huge litter box tucked in a corner of the living room and hidden by a potted plant. Lukas personally thought it was too much for tiny kittens, but in the end, Lila was right: they were going to grow.

Cinnamon was, to be honest, the sweetest cat he had met, and Lila loved her so much it almost made Lukas jealous. They _do_ say pets look like their owners. Cinnamon was definitely Lila’s cat. The little thing was chipper and adorable, always greeting whoever came with a light-hearted meow. She loved curling on Lila’s lap and demanding cuddles, which Lila gave all too willingly, and she also enjoyed napping by the windows, where the sun would shine directly on her.

Espresso couldn’t have met a more fitting owner than Lukas. Unlike his sister, Espresso was quiet and not quite as affectionate. Just like his owner, he also had a soft spot for Lila. Espresso would prowl around the apartment silently, curiously sneaking into every little corner instead of demanding love like Cinnamon did. Oddly, though Espresso _constantly_ howled at his sister, he could _also_ deny her nothing, stepping aside to let her eat first or grooming her as she slept. He also liked to hide in the drawers or whatever closed space he found, only poking his head out after hours of search. And when he _did_ want affection, he’d usually just walk up to Lukas and splay himself over whatever Lukas was doing to demand caresses or would jump to perch on Lukas’ shoulders like some sort of feline version of a pirate’s parrot. 

Lila burst into laughter the first time she walked in on Lukas, hunched over the desk as the cat wrapped around his neck like a scarf.

It wasn’t exactly a change he had expected, but soon he decided that it was a welcomed one. The cats would playfully fight as Lukas and Lila laughed, or weave between their legs as the couple walked to grab their attention, or scratch their bedroom door in the middle of the night, demanding to sleep in the bed. Lila respected his wish of not wanting the cats in the bedroom, but after the fifth night of endless crying and meowing, Lukas himself stood up and let them in.

Of course, the next day he walked into the Precinct unaware of the cat hairs littered on the back of his pants. Kym _would not stop_ with the Grumpy Cat jokes upon spotting them. He immediately phoned Lila, demanding that she pick up rollers for their clothes.

* * *

The cats were perfectly fine until they caused problems, allied with one Kieran White. He had come over to the apartment to finally meet the cats after almost two months, because, being as busy as ever, he couldn’t make time earlier. With his usual offering of one of Lila’s favorite pastries, a bottle of wine, and a bouquet, he walked into the apartment in his usual calm and composed attitude until he saw the cats curled together on the couch, their little heads peeking over the armrest to stare at the newcomer. Upon gaining Cinnamon’s affection and Espresso’s reluctant trust, he splayed out on the floor like a child, playing with them as he talked to Lukas and Lila. 

“Be careful, Espresso isn’t very affectionate,” Lukas reminded him for the third time. Just as he had the previous two times, Kieran ignored Lukas and kept holding the cat’s paws.

“Look at those tiny paws, and those tiny _toe beans_ ! He’s so _cute_!”

“He is, right?” Lila chuckled, watching as Cinnamon sniffed Kieran’s hair curiously. “And Lukas didn’t want to keep them!”

“I still don’t think it was the wisest decision, but alas, it’s done.”

“Oh, come one, Lukas,” Kieran chuckled, reaching back to pat Cinnamon’s head. “Stop being such a killjoy. How much damage can two little kitties do?”

“A lot, if you’re truly asking.”

Lila swatted Lukas’ side between chuckles. “Don’t be like that, they’re not _that_ bad.”

“Just look at that face!” Kieran pulled Espresso from the couch, holding him in front of his face to get a better look at him. “This grumpy fella doesn’t look like a trouble maker, does he?”

Lukas saw what was going to happen before it did, but it still was too late to do something about it. With a twitch of Espresso’s whiskers and a violent swat of his tail, Lukas had perked up and immediately tried to warn Kieran. “ _Kieran_ , drop the–”

Espresso’s claw was evidently faster than Lukas’ words, and he howled out what Lukas could only assume was a feline battle cry as he attacked Kieran. His reflexes saved him from losing an eye, but the cat still got him square in the chin, leaving a long scratch along his jaw. Lila gasped, Kieran dropped the cat, who ran off to search for a hiding spot, and Lukas…

Lukas burst out laughing.

It took him too long to realize Lila was glaring at him for that, but he couldn’t help it. It was only when Kieran stood up and went to wash the scratch at the bathroom that he noticed Lila’s everything but amused expression. She huffed and stood up, disappearing inside the kitchen to prepare some tea. Lukas asked what was wrong, but she didn’t reply. She apologized to Kieran for Espresso, but clearly, the attorney could not care less and laughed it off, making a dumb comment on how he would look more interesting if the scratch left a scar. Sometimes, Lukas wondered if Kieran had grown up beyond his adolescent years.

He forgot about the issue until after Kieran left and they were about to go to bed. When he came out of the bathroom, Lila was waiting at the bedroom threshold, flanked by the two cats at her feet as she stared at him with crossed arms.

“Alright, what’s wrong?” Lukas sighed.

“What you did earlier was _beyond_ rude, Lukas,” Lila huffed, her lips pursed into an irritated pout. “You could’ve at least apologized for what Espresso did.”

“I warned him,” Lukas shrugged. “I told him to put the cat down and he didn’t listen.”

“Well, you shouldn’t have laughed! Perhaps _asking if he’s alright would be fine?_ ”

“It was funny.”

“It was not,” Lila sighed. “You know I love you just like you are, but sometimes having basic manners–”

“Excuse me?” Lukas arched an eyebrow curiously. “There is a “but” to that? Are we seriously going to argue over a scratch?”

“It’s not about the scratch, it’s about your behavior.”

“My _behavior_.”

“Yes. Had it been anyone, you could have seriously hurt their feelings for laughing at that. Plus, this is _your_ best friend we’re talking about, who _your_ cat hurt. One would think that would mean you’d be a little bit more considerate.”

“Okay, first of all, Kieran and I go way back. We’ve been through hell together and I don’t think that’d break because my cat scratched him. You saw it yourself, he didn’t even mind. Kieran’s had worse, and he knew he did it to himself. Second, I am not exactly the most sentimental person out there and you _know_ that. And third, the cats are _ours_ , and _you_ were the one who brought them in and insisted on keeping them, so don’t act like you are not responsible for what they do too.”

“You’re not listening to what I’m saying.”

“No, I _am_ listening, I just don’t think this is something worth my energy.”

Lila gaped at him, before scoffing. “Yes, sure. Your energy. Great. You can go and mind your energy on the couch tonight, then.”

“You’re not seriously sending me to–”

“Yes, I am,” Lila walked into the bedroom, grumbling under her breath and leaving Lukas dumbfounded in the hall. Before Lukas could try to walk into the room, Lila came out with a pillow and a blanket she shoved into his arms, and after a moment of thinking, she grabbed Espresso from the floor and deposited him on top of the pillow as well. “You aren’t coming to bed either. That was very, very wrong, Espresso.”

The cat whined.

“You’re sending both of us to the couch _because of another man_?” Lukas gawked at his wife, pitching forward slightly at the sudden weight.

Lila smiled sweetly, but unlike her usual smiles, it was clear this one was not meant to be nice. “Oh, I just think you’ll mind your _energy_ better alone. Goodnight.”

“Wait–”

Picking Cinnamon from the floor, Lila walked into the bedroom and slammed the door closed behind her, and Lukas could’ve sworn that Cinnamon sent a smug glance to both of them. Left to their own devices in the living room, both Lukas and Espresso stared at the door.

Shaking a finger in the cat’s face, Lukas groaned, flopping backwards against the couch. “This is _all_ your fault, you idiot.”

The cat just meowed, completely unapologetic for his actions. Lukas fluffed the pillow and the blanket before laying down, Espresso ambling across the couch to lay on his stomach.

As he switched off the lamp in the living room, he mumbled gently at the cat, kneading Espresso’s face as he stared at the ceiling.

“I’m not going to get much sleep tonight, am I?”

* * *

The following morning, Lukas woke up with an aching back as he spat cat hairs out of his mouth. The cat was nowhere to be seen.

In an attempt to appease his wife, Lukas had brewed her coffee and made her small cat-shaped pancakes, knocking gently at the door before entering. To his surprise, Lila was already up, staring at him with a small lump weighing down the blanket on either side.

“You let _him_ sleep in the bed?”

“Lukas, he’s a _cat._ You’re a _human.”_

“ _Fine._ I, uh…” Lukas mumbled, scratching the back of his neck as he balanced her breakfast on his other hand, “I’m sorry.”

Lila smiled at him, patting the spot on the bed next to her. “Oh, for what?”

He flushed, voice dropping to a whisper. “For arguing with you when you were completely right.”

Taking a sip of the coffee he offered her, she reached for his fingers before continuing. “Is that _all_?”

Lukas didn’t bother answering, simply reaching for the phone that sat on their bedside table. Lila stared at him in confusion until she heard someone pick up after around eight rings.

“White speaking. Who is it?”

“It’s Lukas,” he grumbled, not daring to glance back at his wife’s expectant gaze.

“Oh, that’s a pleasant surprise. Usually, your wife is the one who gives me my wake-up calls. Tell her that I’ll-”

“Save your business to tell her yourself, Kieran. I... I, uh... I called to say I’m sorry that Espresso scratched you and I laughed,” he said, speeding through the words.

On the other end of the line, Kieran chuckled. “Lukas, hold the receiver closer to you.” 

The couple exchanged glances, not sure how he could tell that Lila was likely listening in on the conversation. 

“Yeah?” Lukas asked, ears flush against the receiver.

“You _know_ I don’t care about this kind of thing. So I’m assuming that Lila made you?”

“Well I mean, not _exactly_ but-”

“Yeah, she made you,” he chortled from his side, shaking Lukas’ eardrums. “Well, thank you anyhow, it’s very kind of you. And don’t worry about Lila, she’ll see today that I’m _perfectly fine_. Actually, hand her the phone?”

Lukas obliged as Lila took the phone from his hands. “I’m fine, _Mrs. Randall._ Though I _am_ in awe at how you got your husband to apologize. I’m sure you’ll tell me _all_ about it at work today.” he snickered. 

“Just make sure you’re on time, Kieran. You have three hearings today. Can you find your tie?” Lila grinned, returning to business matters. Lukas stared at her in absolute bemusement. How was it _possible_ that the woman who had sent him to the couch last night has such a radiant smile? And _why_ does she know her boss well enough to ask him about his attire?

“Actually, I was just-”

Lila sighed, pressing her fingers to her eyebrows. “If you’re wearing the light grey one, it’s the fifth on the left of the first drawer. If you’re wearing the beige one, which I hope you don’t because you _know_ how Judge Farber feels about informal suits. Otherwise, if you go with the dark blue one, it should be in the back of the second drawer.” 

“Ah, thank you for reminding me,” Kieran said. Rustling could be heard from the other end. “I was just about to grab the beige one... But I suppose I’ll grab the grey one instead.” 

“Great, now since you’re awake, I’m going to hang up. Wear a scarf, it’s cold,” Lila instructed before hanging up. 

Running her hands through the cats’ coats, Lila turned to Lukas, a gleaming smile on her face. “Now, that wasn’t so bad, was it?”

Despite himself, Lukas couldn’t help but crack a smile along with her. Admiring the way the pale light bounced off the four of them, he nodded. “No, it wasn’t so bad after all.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello friends! Waters here. Welcome back to _Before Dusk_! (We promise we'll be back to regular _Moonlighter_ Wednesdays soon) We hope that you enjoyed this fluffy Lula fic! We were thinking about how Lukas would be literally UNABLE to deny his wife anything...and we were like "but...but those two cats need some more screentime!!" :))
> 
> Firstly, please applaud Giggle for writing....3/5 of this entire thing. She came up with most of it up until Lukas got sent out, and I revised it this morning. So applaud your fluff queen, this wouldn't exist without her. It'd just be torture and pain with the regular case :)) 
> 
> Kieran literally flirts with death wherever he goes. Like, I kid you not. The man is INCAPABLE of taking care of himself.
>
>> Lukas, the man who literally is scared of nothing and has an aura of darkness: Be careful.
>> 
>> Kieran: OOOH LOOK AT THESE ITTY BITTY MURDER WEAPONS AREN'T THEY SO CUTE???
> 
> He's literally so dumb. I love all of them. Lukas is SUCH a simp. I swear, he's never apologized to a singular soul other that Lila willingly. Anyhow, thank you for reading! Drop a comment, and we'll see you all on Saturday morning, PST! 


	3. Human Hurricane

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Kym and Lauren met, and Will became literally unable to escape Kym.

Lauren was twenty years old when she met the human hurricane.

It was a somewhat uneventful day, considering it was her birthday. Uncle Tristan had to leave Ardhalis on a business trip, which he apologized profusely for before kissing his niece on the forehead as he was whisked out the door. To make up for his absence on the actual date, he had cleared a day off his schedule (everyone in the office knows that he hadn’t taken a vacation day in years) to take her on a shopping spree. Though she wasn’t particularly fond of shopping, she enjoyed the quality time with him. They left early in the morning and returned right after dinner, carrying so many bags and boxes that they nearly knocked over three vases as they were moving everything into the living room to put on a miniature fashion show for the maids. Lucy had laughed so hard her face turned red as she watched Tristan and Lauren struck ridiculous poses as they pretended to strut down an imaginary runway, blowing kisses at everyone. 

She knew that Tristan’s main concern was that it would be the first birthday they wouldn’t spend together following her parents’ death. Though she was grateful he was worried for her, she didn’t wish to inconvenience him, so she promised that she’d find a way to have fun on the actual day before he stepped onto the train.

She woke up to a breakfast of her favourite meals, the  _ pièce de résistance _ being the blueberry pancakes Lucy had carefully crafted and topped with whipped cream and an assortment of her favorite berries. Unable to resist Lauren’s puppy-eyes, the maids sat down with her at the table for breakfast, each enjoying their own dish of pancakes. Upon finishing her meal (to Lucy’s relief), Lauren had hurried off to campus once again, her mind overflowing with the tasks she had to complete.

Her day at university was uneventful, other than the five minutes she spent being cornered by a rushing sorority. Few people knew (and even fewer  _ remembered _ ) that today was her birthday, so she went through the day with a handful of awkward birthday wishes and a half hearted, unsynchronized rendition of  _ Happy Birthday  _ by her neuropsychology groupmates.

Someone who  _ did _ remember and  _ cared _ was William, and he made sure to call her in the morning to wish her a happy birthday and confirm their evening plans before he left for work at the APD. Their “evening plans” were quite simple, since Will knew that she hated making a scene. They had agreed to meet for drinks at a cosy bar they liked after she was done with homework and he was done with his duties. After coming home from class, she spent hours cooped up at her office before Lucy came in to remind her to leave (Lauren had told Lucy to remind her, since she had a knack for forgetting the time when she was working). Switching out of her inconspicuous school outfit, she tucked a white turtleneck into a kneelength brown skirt, sticking her arms into a coat for the cooling autumn weather. Deciding that she’d walk to the APD instead of taking a cab, she swapped off her heels for brown ankle boots before heading over to meet Will after he got off work.

Indeed, her day could be considered as uneventful until the precise moment Will walked out of the police station, hurriedly putting his coat on. Quickly descending the stairs, he approached Lauren with a smile and waving a carefully wrapped box in front of his face, offering it to her when he stood before her on the sidewalk.

“Happy birthday!”

Lauren smiled as she took the box, hugging Will before opening the box with excitement. A black cashmere scarf with embroidered daisies sat on the inside of the small bow, and Lauren picked it out with a joyous gasp, instantly wrapped it around her neck.

“It’s beautiful, Will! Thank you.”

“I knew you’d like it!” Will smiled, his hands tucked into the pockets of his coat. “When I saw it, I knew immediately it had to be yours.”

“You know me well,” she hummed as she patted the soft fabric, approving the cloth around her neck. She tilted her head towards the direction of the bar. “Should we get going?”

Before Will got the chance to reply, a flash of azure hair caught Lauren’s eyes. Exiting the APD building, a young girl, probably no older than Lauren herself, bounced from step to step as she made her way down the stairs, a sweet smile painted on her face as she landed on the sidewalk. She looked up to the sky to check the weather and turned on her heel to presumably make her way home, suddenly pausing when she spotted Lauren and Will. Her face lit up with recognition at Will’s figure, then with curiosity at Lauren as she made her way to them.

“Good evening,  _ Willame _ !” she hollered, nearly startling him out of his skin. Will sighed and turned around with the slightest bit of exasperation in his eyes.

“Good evening, Ladell.”

Lauren perked up at the name. Ladell. Kym Ladell, the new officer of the 11th’s APD, the infamous thorn in Will’s side from the moment she stepped into the place about two months back. In her first week, she had drowned Will’s paperwork in coffee, and by the second, the incident had repeated itself two more times. It wasn’t like she did it on purpose; at least, that’s what Will always told Lauren. She just seemed to be too energetic for her own good, with fingers seemingly buttered if they were holding anything but a gun, and his coffee always seemed to be in the wrong spot for her to knock over if she was so much as passing by. It didn’t help that their desks were directly next to each other.

Despite his clear annoyance at her, Will still put on a polite smile as she approached, her eyes curiously drifting between the two of them. Quickly coming to his senses, Will stepped aside as he gestured between the two women.

“Lauren, this is Kym Ladell, a coworker. Kym, this is my friend, Lauren.”

Kym smiled widely, extending her hand to Lauren. “Pleasure!”

“Pleasure,” Lauren chuckled, shaking Kym’s hand. “I’ve heard quite some things about you.”

Kym shot Will a glance, her caramel eyes squinted closed. “Have you, now?”

“Yes! Like the fact that you’ve got a knack for knocking over coffee and a fascination with watermelons.”

“I mean, they are delicacies from the gods, how could I not love them?” she stated, her grin unfaltering. Besides them, Will rolled his eyes. Kym noticed the box Lauren still held in her hands, the cogs in her brain turning almost visibly before her grin lit up again. “Ah! You’re Will’s friend whose birthday is today, right? Happy birthday!”

The genuineness in her voice made Lauren smile. “Thank you.”

“We should get going, Lauren, since we don’t want to have to wait in a line. You know how busy it is at the bar.”

Kym grimaced. “Don’t tell me you’re spending your birthday with this uninteresting man.”

Will frowned. “Have you been looking up ways to call me boring?”

Kym stuck out her tongue. “I have more if you want to hear them.”

Lauren laughed. “Don’t worry, Will, I don’t think you’re boring.”

Kym smirked deviously, her eyes twinkling with mischief. “But that doesn’t mean you think he’s fun.”

“Hey!”

“It’s decided, then!” Kym grinned, clapping her hands. “I’m tagging along.”

“You are not–”

“Yes, I am!” Kym shushed Will, stepping up front to link her arm with Lauren’s. “I have nothing better to do, and you don’t mind, do you?”

Lauren chuckled, “No, no I don’t.”

“ _ Lauren. _ ”

“She seems fun,” Lauren shrugged, pointing behind her. “And I have a feeling she won’t be leaving us alone, so let’s just get going. I promised Uncle Tristan I’d have fun tonight and I plan to uphold that promise.”

Resigning, Will shoved his hands back into his pockets and groaned, letting his head hang before him. “Alright, let’s go.”

“Perfect! So. How old are you turning, Lauren? Twenty-one?”

“Twenty, actually.”

“Twenty! That’s nice–”

* * *

Kym was loud. She was very, very loud. In fact, she was probably the loudest person Lauren had ever encountered, speaking her mind and laughing and squealing when something got her excited. She had grown up in high society, where one was expected to maintain a certain degree of poise and soberness. She despised events held by people of her status for the very reason that she was expected to keep her mouth shut, and experience had taught Lauren that she wasn’t very skilled at tactful silence.

Meeting Kym Ladell was like a breath of fresh air, and Lauren immediately felt herself gravitating towards the bubbly woman, dragging Will by the sleeve after her.

Kym had decided to walk in front of them with Will and Lauren following her right behind, claiming she was  _ totally aware _ of where the bar they were looking for was located.

“It’s strange, though. I’d think you’d prefer somewhere a little… fancier,  _ Willame _ ,” she smirked, turning around to face them, effortlessly walking backwards. “Somewhere like the Golden Clover, probably.”

“We’re actually not very fond of the  _ fancy _ places,” Lauren laughed, shaking a hand in the air. “Too many appearances to keep, too many lies.”

“And too many overpriced drinks, if you ask me,” Kym laughed along, twirling on her tiptoes in the fashion of a ballerina, her other foot kicked up behind her. Will looked just about ready to faint at her antics, and warning of a fall was likely on the tip of his tongue when she jumped to the next cobblestone, holding her entire weight on her tiptoes.

“Why can’t you walk like a  _ normal person _ ?” Will inquired, flinching as she continued to skip tiny stone to tiny stone.

Kym smiled at the two of them. “Where’s the fun in that, you intellectually unstimulating statue?”

Lauren smiled at Will. “I love her.”

“She’s a nuisance.”

“She’s fun!”

“ _ She’s here! _ ” Kym waved at the two of them. “Not very nice of you to speak about someone who is in front of you like they aren’t here, you lovebirds.”

Lauren and Will came to a sudden halt, the both of them staring at her in utter disgust.

“What did you call us?” Will sputtered.

Kym frowned, pointing to them with different fingers. “I mean… Are you two not dating?”

“God, no!” Lauren gagged. “No! We’re… Lord, we’re like siblings!”

Will awkwardly rubbed his hands together. “Whatever gave you that impression, Ladell?”

Kym whistled innocently, stuffing her hands inside her pockets. “I don’t know, I just thought your parents had arranged a marriage for you two or something.”

“ _ An arranged marriage _ ,” Lauren scoffed, her mouth quickly irking up in repressed hilarity as she fought back cackles. “It’s not as common as you seem to think, Kym.”

Will shuddered. “Yes, and besides, that’d feel like marrying a sister.”

“The feeling is mutual,” Lauren laughed, hugging Will’s waist with one arm, Will’s arm casually slung over her shoulder. The two had grown up together, and the decades of leaning into each other during their most difficult times had made them incredibly comfortable with body contact. They trusted each other with their lives, but perhaps what made the difference. They knew each other so deeply that they had, at some point, decided that they’d never be able to share their entire lives with someone they harmonized in that way with.

Lauren smiled at Kym. “We’re just very good friends.”

“Great!” Kym grinned. “Because I may have realized a bit  _ too _ late I was presumably third-wheeling and this was going to get awkward otherwise.”

Despite Will’s and Lauren’s obvious discomfort, the trio burst out laughing, the fallen leaves of autumn crushing under their feet to accompany their voices. Kym appeared to be satisfied at this reaction, judging from her content smile as she bounced down the street, and there was something quite charming and almost magnetic in the way she walked, the way she talked, and the way she  _ smiled _ . Lauren had never met someone so bright. Kym was truly something, a force to be reckoned with, and a total handful if the mischievous glint in her eyes and Will’s stories were anything to go by.

It had been a long time since Lauren had genuinely enjoyed female company of her age. It was well known everywhere that she preferred the company of men. Her fellow female classmates appeared to have something against her, preferring to spread rumors behind her back than to just interact with her in person.

Kym stopped in her tracks to hop into a pile of leaves. Will and Lauren leaned backwards to stare at her as she swept the foliage up with her boot, sending leaves of all the warm hues of a colour wheel flying. She giggled to herself as she watched the leaves fall, hopping around to catch the leaves as they fell and smiling at the rustling sound coming from under her feet.

Will frowned. “Ladell, what in the  _ world _ are you doing?”

Kym raised an eyebrow. “Jumping on leaves. Is it not obvious, Hawkes?”

“Are you five or something? You’re an officer, get a grip!”

Kym laughed. “You seriously need to relax a bit, Will. I’m not even in my uniform.”

Lauren laughed as they argued, Kym still blatantly ignoring Will’s demands and jumping in the leaves, the soles of her shoes littered in splashes of orange, red and yellow.

With a gasp, Kym hurried towards a huge mound of leaves, swept up into a neat heap on the grassy lawn of a small park. Will, seeing what was about to happen, ran toward her, reaching out to grab onto her arm. 

As if Kym had sprinkled levitating pixie dust on Will, rather than succeeding in tugging the sapphire-haired girl back onto the sidewalk, Will was tugged into the air with her, unceremoniously falling into the leaves with a loud  _ crunch _ .

Lauren stood in front of where the pile had once been, mouth gaping at the ridiculous scene before her. The leaves had scattered in a circular explosion, and in the eye of the tornado lay Will, the red of his face rivaling the scarlet leaf stuck to his cheek.

Kym sat up, hands over her mouth useless in covering up the giggles that snuck through her lips. “I… I’m sorry?” 

Sitting up slowly, Will blinked blankly before turning towards Kym and gripping her shoulders.

“You have to be more careful! What would you have done if there was an animal under that pile? Or a rock where you could hit your head? You could’ve hurt yourself !”

“I’m  _ fine, _ mom. Please. Don’t worry,” Kym assured him, tugging him to his feet with her.

Will evidently wasn’t convinced, still visually analyzing Kym as Lauren plucked leaf fragments from his soft hair, as if his eyes could see through her and somehow detect any scratches.

Despite all Will groaned about, Lauren could tell that he truly cared for Kym, still nagging her for behaving recklessly even as she swore to never jump into another leaf pile before checking. There was something deeply… Real and honest about the officer. She was simply so  _ different  _ from everything Lauren had grown up around; while most of the children she grew up with were restrained and shallow, Kym was true to herself in a way that somehow made her more tangible than most of the people she had encountered. 

Linking her own arm with Kym’s, Lauren grinned at Will.

“We’re keeping you!”

“Even though I thought you two were dating?” Kym asked in surprise and amusement at her choice of words, staring at Lauren.

“Yep!” Lauren affirmed, popping the P. “As long as you promise to  _ never  _ bring up that topic again,” she shivered, as if the mere mention of the idea froze her blood. “Goodness, that would  _ truly  _ be a terrifying prospect.”

“ _ Excuse me? _ ” protested Will, bumping into Lauren with an indignant huff. “I’m not  _ that _ bad, am I?”

Lauren snickered. “ Oh, I just think you’d make a  _terrible_ husband.  Right, Kym?”

Kym cackled. “ Absolutely! You’d make a terrible husband and I send my condolences to the poor woman who ends up marrying you. ”

“ _ Why are you two conspiring against me? _ ”

Kym was genuine like no other, the years that followed would teach Lauren that. There was more than just smiles to the petite woman, simply enchanting and drawing life from those around her. Kym was no perfect porcelain doll, no demure girl who held back her thoughts for the sake of courtesy. Getting her back home that night had been an adventure in itself, but Lauren wouldn’t have it any other way.

Lauren wouldn’t change a single thing about Kym Ladell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EYYYY <3 Giggle here!
> 
> Since Lauren doesn't work at the APD, she couldn't have met Kym there so we had to come up with a backstory for their friendship in _The Moonlighters_ , and the idea was so endearing we just _had_ to write it. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!
> 
> As you may have noticed, I am a sucker for the Lauren-Will-Kym friendship. They are just so great. Lovable trio friendships are superior no I do not take criticism.
> 
> Kym asking Will and Lauren if they were engaged is literally the best.
> 
> It's also Kym Ladell appreciation hours, yall. After this week's episode, I sure hope all of you are respecting our lord and savior Kywi.
> 
> Tell us what you think! We love seeing your comments and thank you for continuing to be the absolute best <3

**Author's Note:**

> Follow [ MiddayGiggle](https://www.instagram.com/middaygiggle_art/)! 
> 
> Follow [ Waters](https://www.instagram.com/watercolored_charmaine/)!  
> 
> 
> * * *
> 
>  ****  
> All characters of Purple Hyacinth belong to[Sophism ](https://www.instagram.com/deadsophism/) and [Ephemerys](https://www.instagram.com/ephemerys_ph/)
> 
> [Read Purple Hyacinth here!](https://www.webtoons.com/en/mystery/purple-hyacinth/list?title_no=1621)
> 
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